May 26, 2016 - Msg 104788: Good grief. That should be "piece of ice, 8 to 10 inches long" up there. ==Romeena
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104789: That little half-line swept? Probably didn't get the porch very clean, but maybe it will rain tonight and wash away the rest of the dust. --Romeena
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104790: Seriously, being born in 1939, a small child during WWII, a teenager in the '50s - cousins who lived in the country during the '40s, and moving to the country myself at age 13, had my own horse and parents who trusted my ability to handle him and let me roam far and wide - who could ask for anything more? --Romeena
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104791: Romeena--I wonder who sent you that "up" email? haha. And mule-drawn ice trucks! My goodness,
next thing ya know you'll say that u remember steam cars! lol. Good sweep!
TOM--happy birthday! Will we still need you when you're 64? You bet! Glad to hear the good news about your sis.
Barn dance at SPOT's!!! :) Pot luck.
RITCHIE--I asked Alan one time about those boxes under the windows, and he said that he heard from a former stagehand who said that they were placed there at the start of the third season because the producers thought that there was too much background distraction of "outside views", and they helped to block it, and also it was to make the windows appear 'neater' instead of seeing crooked blinds, etc at the bottom of the windows. Hope that helps.
GF--we have about a week's break now until our new shower surround arrives! Cultured marble and TALL doors for me! woohoo.
BOO and Possum, good to see ya.
Prayers for the world continue, refugee crisis in Europe and other areas. My Lord help us.
MDC

May 26, 2016 - Msg 104792: Romeena, I may be to young to remember ithe "ice truck" but I do remember begging the "milkman" for some ice from his milk truck. They were thes tube like ice cubes that you could stick your fingers into then lick them like a popcicle....

Thanks for the memory blast, I had not thought about that in a long time!.... Also, "Whitey" the milkman was not to good at backing up, he knocked down our fence twice while backing out of out driveway!...lol I suppose it was awkward driving that truck, you had to stand up to drive it.....

G-F....
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104793: ...p.s. We would spend our "milk money" while waiting on the school bus on damaged baked good from the " bread man". He would sometimes have those little mini pies, cupcakes, brownies, ect..... Bet Mom thought a bully was shaking us down when we would ask for extra milk money..lol
G-F again
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104794: Good morning, porch! No, MDC, I don't remember steam cars, but almost! The first car I remember my daddy owning was a '31 Chevy! I think he paid $25 for it. He drove it for about five years, and sold it for $35! I was about three when he bought it, so it must have been 11 or 12 years old at the time. Where he got $25 in those days, I'll never know, but he scraped it up somehow.

As for the mule-drawn ice wagon, that only lasted in my memory for about a year, then the driver switched to the battered old flatbed truck. Don't picture a flatbed like you see today - it wasn't! The bed was probably no more than ten feet long, if that. He would stack the ice in a pyramid shape so it wouldn't fall over. There were layers of burlap between the layers of ice blocks, to keep it from freezing together, or sliding off.

My dad had been the "iceman" at one time - that's how he met my mother. That job was in the past for him by the time I was born, but he still had the muscular build he had developed by swinging fifty-pound blocks of ice to his shoulder and carrying it to the customer's kitchen. Actually, he never lost that build. When he was 80, his doctors would still comment on his upper body strength and musculature. The rascal never gained weight either, no matter what he ate! Why couldn't I have inherited that trait?!?

Oh yes, I remember the milkman, too. After we moved to the country, we "took" from the milkman, even when we had a cow. It was very convenient, because they delivered much more than milk. Those trucks carried butter, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream - just about anything dairy-related could be delivered by those trucks. They also carried eggs, as I recall, but we had chickens, so didn't need those. Nobody locked their doors in those days, so the milkman would knock, usually on the back door, but if no one answered, he'd just go on in and leave your standard order in the refrigerator. Yes, we had a fridge by then - a nice one. No more iceboxes. If you wanted something other than your standard order, you just left a note stuck to the fridge door, and he would see it, and fill your order.

Oh, my. Those were the days. Life was better back then, much less stressful. Yes, we had wars and the bomb and all that, but somehow, none of that seemed as threatening as what's happening today. So much of the threat today is home-grown. Our own leadership is the threat, and that's really, really scary. Our way of life is under attack, and we are no longer united in defending it. Instead, we're fighting with each other. I'm glad I'm old. --Romeena
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104795: .....Yep, it was like this.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbSpWxO_Hbc
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104796:
TOM, I am so sorry I missed your birthday yesterday. But I am very happy to learn the great news that your sister woke up in the hospital. I bet that is the greatest birthday present you ever received. Was it because God heard our prayers or is it because God knows about all those beautiful poems you have posted here praising Him? Be sure to let us know about your sister as her health improves. And don't forget to tell her how all of us here are praying for her recovery.

Ritchie Ferrara, I have never noticed those boxes under the windows before you mentioned it. Although what MDC posted in Msg 104791 does make some sense, I am confused about one thing. In the earlier episodes, although the blinds were always down all the way to the window sill, the slats were open so you could always see the background through them. If the producers were concerned about distracting background activity, they could have closed the slats or partially closed them or painted an outdoor scene on the glass.
Also, after some research by air dates, I discovered that the window boxes appeared during season 3 after the "Opie's Rival" episode and before the "Convicts At Large" episode.
So far, I have not been able to find out why those window boxes were added.

As for our memories from the past, what stands out the most for me is how my activities have diminished. Up through grade 8, I had plenty of male friends to play with and would spend nearly everyday involved in some kind of physical activity outdoors such as sports, cowboys and Indians, and army. That changed significantly after I entered high school. It was quite traumatic for me when all my friends went their separate ways and preferred playing with girls. I wonder why?
I also remember the milkman making home deliveries with my beloved chocolate milk. Also, our family used to take yearly vacations together. Some were trips by automobile while most were trips by train.
My father worked very hard to make sure we could afford all the basic necessities of life and be properly educated. Besides his full-time job, he sometimes worked two part-time jobs. If anyone deserved an enjoyable retirement, it was him. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years before he would have been eligible to retire.
My father's death caused a drastic change for me. I had initially prepared for a career far away from home after my discharge from the military. But with his passing, I came home to take care of mom during her senior years as she slowed down and became handicapped. Although I believe I did a good job acting as her son, friend, caretaker, nurse and chauffeur, I still have regrets that I could have done better. And because I did not want any interference, I held off getting married until my mom passed away.
I have no regrets about these decisions that I made and would do the same if I had to do it all over again.
I made a photo collage depicting the highlights of our family life together and have it on display in my bedroom where I view it everyday.
Although you have been gone for many years, I still miss you mom and dad. Rest in peace.

Finally, if you folks have some time to kill and want to view a TAGS episode backwards at normal speed, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoiP0elYaW4

from Poor Horatio
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104797: .....Good One PH... I thought I was in the Twilight Zone!.. G F
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104798: That was creepy, PH. Yikes, like Andy and Barney from outer space!

You were a great son, PH.

I am too young to have ever seen the iceman, but being raised in a small town in the 60's we did have a milk man and an egg lady. I remember the bottles with the cardboard stoppers and the cream on the top and you had to shake it up.

I am enjoying the summer memories! You are all so right about how great it was to be a free range kid back then. Riding my banana seat bike all over town in my bare feet was awesome. We were outside all summer playing.

Boo
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104799: Teeheehaha Boo.... I like that!. "Free Range Kids" I never thought of it that way, but you are right!... Yep, I had one of those bikes with the banana seat too, it was bright lime green metallic paint job with the racing tires with the red stripe sidewall... It was a cool bike, right up to the point when it got STOLEN!... Boy was I mad!, I had just finished giving it a wax job too!... The in$urance Co. Paid for another one but this one was purple I got it from Western Auto... My friends called it the "Grape Ape!"...lol..... G-F
May 26, 2016 - Msg 104800: Thank you MDC and Poor Horatio regarding the window boxes. PH, see Msg 104791. Summers for me were fun also. On hot days we would go in the "pump". Aka fire hydrant. It was a good way to cool off. We also played a game called hot soup. One kid would go around the corner and hide a belt. Then would call out ready and the other kids would try and find the belt by way of you're getting warmer or cold cold cold or hot hotter. Whoever found the belt would yell hot soup and chase the other kids with it and try and hit them. Not with the buckle end though. Never in the head or face. There always were a few good red marks on the kids when the game was over. Ritchie Ferrara
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104801: Good evening, porch. Another summer memory for me is making ice cream. We had a White Mountain freezer, hand-crank, and it made a full gallon of ice cream. It's such a powerful memory for me that I wrote it up as a "reminisce" type story, and our own Charlotte Tucker, who is a magazine editor, published it in her magazine. There's just nothing as good as home-made ice cream, and lucky me, it was a weekly occurrence in my family, all summer long. Good stuff!

Another cherished memory involves my beloved horse, Ace. He and I spent many long, peaceful summer afternoons together, just roaming the countryside around our home on the northwest side of San Antonio. We explored those old caliche hills, covered with mesquite scrub and pear cactus, little country roads, or took shortcuts across some rancher's pastureland (fences weren't a problem, Ace was a fair jumper if the fence wasn't too high) - all of that is the stuff of memories for me.

I had a good western saddle, but only used it about half the time. In the summer, it was cooler for Ace if he didn't have to wear a blanket and saddle, so he frequently went bareback. It was comfortable for me too, because without a saddle in the way, I could just loosen the reins and let him graze, while I lay back on his rump and watched the clouds go by. Oh yes, those were the days! I was a happy kid! --Romeena
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104802: PH--(and Ritchie) I should clarify...when I mentioned "background distractions" I'm sure you know that the courthouse interior scenes were done in a studio, and any "buildings" that you see in the background were just paintings. Same when the courthouse door is opened, the buildings, and even the squad car are just paintings. If you freeze your dvd it is very easy to tell, but for quick scenes on fuzzy old TVs, not so much! ha
Anyway, when they had a person walk by the window
for 'realism', with the boxes in place it wasnt quite as noticeable. Here is a good look at them...cue it up to about 5:20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsg60O9hfLk&list=PLvupJ7Pqeu1o8p_CMBTefSTn3cXrM4YZJ
Ritchie-- Hot Soup is a new one to me. We played Red Rover tho! Lots of sore arms when the runner would try to break thru.
My childhood was more city than country, but believe it or not, back then the main street 4 houses away had small canals on each side of it with big trees lining them. We would swim in the canals, and catch crawdads. "Barney, watch yer feet!" :)
Also, we rode our bike all over the place, no helmets, but bags for our newspaper routes! I was TEN years old when I got a paper route! Collected on Friday afternoons, and my first "take" was $4.50!! That was big time money. lol
ASA--you still having trouble getting on?
Prayers,
MDC
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104803: Oh PH, in you backwards tags, I think they're from 'somewheres else!' ha
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104804: HI G F GO HELP OUT AT THE JAIL FROM ALL THE RAIN

TOM :(
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104805: Good morning, porch! Boy, did we have a storm last night! Big old rolling growlers, and frequent sonic-boom-type crashes of thunder. I sat at my window for a while and watched a spectacular light show to the south of me. Really pretty! Later, the rain started and we got a frog-strangler! All my birdbaths are full and running over. I love it. Everything is so green it almost hurts your eyes, and the flowers? Well, there are a lot of things blooming, but just wait until the sun comes back out. A day or two of sunshine and the color will just be an explosion. So, so pretty!

MDC, we used to play Red Rover too, on the playground at recess, for years. Then one year a skinny, frail little girl named Azalea decided to play, and eventually, that was the end of our Red Rover. We all knew not to break through where Azalea was, because it was obvious she'd get hurt, but in that last game, a big boy that was a terrible bully decided he wanted to win at any cost, and he crashed right into where Azalea was holding locked arms with another girl. She might have been little and frail, but she was tenacious, and she held on. That big bully hit her so hard, and we all heard it when her arm broke. Yep, broke the radius and the ulna both in her forearm. Guess what? She never cried, but the bully did after we all piled on him and beat him up. The nurse had to patch him up! We didn't get to play Red Rover anymore at that school, but justice was served that day.

Well, guess I'd better go feed my little four-footed roommate. We were up very late last night, so slept late this morning. I need to go pick up my newspaper, I'm hoping it won't be soaked. It arrives around 6 a.m., and I don't think it has rained since then, but it's about to! If I go now, I can get the paper in before it starts again. Yes, I still take a newspaper. I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I like to sit down with the paper and a glass of tea. You know what else? I have a Kindle, but I rarely download a book to it. I get them from the library, or buy them instead. I just like to hold a book and turn the pages. I like the way a book smells, too. Some habits are just very hard to break.

Blessings, porch. --Romeena
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104806: Good Afternoon gang ! everyone please be safe this weekend..I will be working so some co-workers with young kids can have fun..Romeena those storms are pretty but for almost 36 years (EMC employment years)I have never liked them ha ha..well lets do this Supper menu: Grilled pork chops, mashed taters with gravy, greenbeans, slaw,turnip greens and fried corn...tea and apple pie !..ready around 7 eat...SPOT
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104807: Test
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104808: That was me,possum. The mean ol' Censor wouldn't let me post about my childhood,y'all! Can't figure out WHAT was so offensive-sheesh! Tried 3 times,to no avail. Anyway, I'm too aggravated to re-type what I said,but I had a fun childhood & did a lot of the same things that have already been mentioned.
Well,let me see if this will post-grr!

**************
possum u.a.r.
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104809: Hmm.. wondering if it was the browser (Firefox) causing the censor to act up? I switched over to Google Chrome & everything is fine.

possum again
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104810: I know what Possum did as a young'n on those hot summer days https://youtu.be/Xh_zcaqAszY ... Just sayin' G-F
May 27, 2016 - Msg 104811: That wet possum-LOL
Yep, I spent a lot of time as a kid in the pool, G-F- even took swimming lessons!

****************
possum in the pool

May 28, 2016 - Msg 104812: Good evening, porch. Possum, I'm sure this is an unnecessary question, but I'll ask it anyway. You do know that when the censor refuses a post, and displays it on a separate page with black letters on a white background, the word in question is shown in green? However, I do recall one occasion where even though I examined the text in question, I couldn't find anything that was green, or anything that looked like it might have upset the censor. So, I copied it, went back to the porch and pasted it in place. When I hit "post", it went through that time. Go figure. I was using Firefox, too. I've used it for years, love it, and don't plan to change, but there was that one time that it misbehaved, so maybe that's what was happening to you.

I must have slept in a cramped position last night, because all day I've had a big old "crick" in my neck, down into my shoulders, and have not been able to get comfortable all day. If it doesn't disappear tonight, I'm going to have to break out some heat for tomorrow. This was a very uncomfortable day. (whine!) --Romeena
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104813: Good Morning Gang 4:45 EST here in the south...Time for me to get moving and keep the lights burning...im up for breakfast if anyone cooks have a blessed day SPOT
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104814: Hey Ro- My "offensive" word never showed up in green,and for the life of me,I could not see anything that would be deemed offensive.
I recalled that you've had trouble as well and tried your copy & paste solution,but the censor even blocked that. I do think it was some sort of glitch with Firefox,although I don't know why it would have done that. I'm using Chrome now & hope this message posts-sure don't want to re-type it or start my day ticked off at the censor!

Hey to Spot! Let's go to Waffle House for breakfast-it's on me!

******************
possum under a rock
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104815: Possum... Just curious, can one get "Pancakes" at the "Waffle House"? Or do ya have to go to the "IHOP" to get those?
I suppose bacon would be out of the question... I'm guessing you would have to go to " Bacon World" for that is what I'm thinking....lol G-F
(Maybe the censor didn't like excessive exclamation points?)
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104816: Possum, it seems the problem you were having was relate to your browser not allowing a browser cookie to be set by tagsrwc.com (i.e. the Front Porch). One of the checks is to see if the post is actually coming from this page and if that cookie isn't there....you're posting is rejected because it could be a "bad guy" trying to "spam" the porch with junk. Sorry it caught you.
--Floyd
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104817: Floyd, thanks for that explanation. It just shows how things sometimes work in the background for our own good, and we aren't aware of it. Not just on the porch, but in life in general. Thanks for all you do - we appreciate you.

It's a bit of a gray day around here, looks like we might get some more rain. Suits me. All this rain will just make the summer better. July and August will be hot and dry, and if we go into those months already dried out, it will be another round of water rationing, lawns and trees struggling to stay alive, and wildlife under stress. The more rain we get now, the better off we'll be.

Does anyone besides me grow Dusty Miller in your flowerbeds? I've used it for years, and really like it. The silvery-gray color and lacy foliage make a wonderful contrast for splashes of color, and it fills in blank spaces so nicely. Well, I've got the grandmother of all Dusty Miller plants growing right now. That thing is beautiful. We planted it behind a low, flat-topped boulder, with pansies and Gerbera daisies alongside. It has grown up, spread out, and sent up gorgeous bloom stalks! I knew Dusty Miller would bloom, but all I've seen up until now were a few somewhat spindly little shoots, with sparse yellow flowers on top. This thing has put up a forest of bloom stalks, nearly two feet tall, and the flower heads are full, dense and a brilliant, sunshiny gold/yellow color. So pretty! It started out in a little 4" plastic nursery pot, and it's now spread to two feet wide, over a foot tall, just a nice pillowy mound, and then those beautiful flowers rising over it all. Amazing what 88 cents will buy! Actually, it cost me just 70 cents, because the garden center owner is my neighbor, and gives me a 20% discount. So, for less than the price of a cup of plain coffee, I got all that beauty, probably for the whole summer. I'll deadhead the blooms when they fade, and it will most likely bloom again in a few weeks. Also, the plant will over-winter, so I'll have it for a long, long time. Well, so much for that. I'm just thinking about how little blessings appear here and there, and I try to notice and appreciate them.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, folks. Lest we forget..... --Romeena
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104818: .....Dusty Millers, they always reminded me of a good name for a Country/Western star... G-F
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104819: G-F: The Dusty Millers are a Bluegrass band. How'd you know? Ritchie Ferrara
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104820: Ha... Richie, I do listen to a lot of Bluegrass but have not heard their music, I'll have to check them out. I'm more of a Rhonda Vincent, Doyle Lawson, Daily & Vincent, Ralph Stanley kinda guy. I go to several bluegrass festival every year, good music for the soul.... G-F
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104821: Thanks for figuring out what was going on,Floyd. I wasn't talking nasty,I really wasn't,and it was bugging me as to just what the Censor was finding offensive. Who would have thought it was my "cookies"?!

I didn't know that Dusty Miller was anything but that dusty gray color,Ro. So it blooms? Wow- I'll bet that is pretty! I like Dusty Miller just so,but how nice is it to have it bloom too?!

Oh yeah, we're gonna get a tropical storm here later tonight or tomorrow,but everything will be okay.Wet,but okay! South Carolina Strong! Didn't want y'all worrying about my rock blowing away or anything drastic like that!

Take care,all!

possum again

P.S. No pancakes at The Waffle House, G-F, but the BEST bacon I have ever had was at a Waffle House in Prosperity,SC-Rev's hometown,of all places!
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104822: .....Possum I suppose ya can't get waffles at the IHOP either than...lol ( or a Hot Dog at "Whataburger")...lol
Girl ya better button down the hatches and put a few more rocks on top **************. And ***** just to be safe!....G-F
May 28, 2016 - Msg 104823: .....Grascals too Richie.
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104824: POSSUM, one thing you might try is deleting all temp and cookies each time you go off the net.
I do it every time and it sure helps.
GF--pancakes at Waffle House is like getting Glacier Bay products at Lowes! haha
ASA--I see that someone at WD-40 came up with a 'flexible' straw. Very clever. I almost bought a can, but still have some.
ALL--->, well i had to call the man on our 5 year old Maytag washer, but alas, there is no more lonely Maytag repair 'man'! Now it is all done by a 'third party' as Helen would say. They'll be out on Tuesday, so we shall see.
BOO and Possum, heard about those storms a brewin' in your areas. Hope all is OK.
TOM--how is your sis doing now?
RO--yes, my wife grows dusty miller, but nowhere near the size that you speak of.
SPOT--be safe out there good buddy.
Good Sabbath to all.
MDC
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104825:
POSSUM--when done with net, go to Start button, then Control Panel, then Network and Internet, then Internet Options, The Delete History and Cookies.
I set up a desktop shortcut.
MDC
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104826: The Cleveland Cav's win the Eastern Conference, the Indians are in 1st. place, their hockey team made it to the championship finals... The RNC is coming in July...What is happening?.... Better start looking for that new Ark on Lake Erie because SOMETHING is going to happen...
Just don't count your peaches before they get fuzzed up good though... Cleveland... "The Hearbreak City"....

APB for Asa.. You Ok buddy?... TOM, how is Sis doing? You guys check in Ok?... G-F
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104827:
G-F, congratulations on your Cleveland Cavalier's winning the Eastern Conference basketball championship against our Toronto Raptors. I am shocked by the point difference for most of the games. Although Toronto won two games (games 3 and 4), they got beat in game 1 by 31 points, in game 2 by 19 points, in game 5 by 38 points and in game 6 by 26 points. As for me, I don't care much because I don't follow professional sports like I used to when I was younger.

TOM, any updates about how your sister is doing?

Since our Floyd believes that possum was experiencing a problem with cookies, if you would like to learn more, check out the brief introduction at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/cookies/

from Poor Horatio

May 29, 2016 - Msg 104828: ....Can I get Chocolate Chip Cookies?. The problem with cookies these days is NOBODY wants to make them anymore. Mom made the best Chocolate Chip ones, sometimes we even got Pee-cans.. Pau-cans... in them too! No matter how you pronounced it they was Good!....

PH, I wasn't gloating, makes no matter to me, but it is kinda nice to see some (hopefully) Good Luck come to the town.. They have worse luck than Newton Monroe....lol

G-F....
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104829: Thanks for the tips about my "cookie problem", MDC & PH.

All's well at my rock,no rocks have blown away, G-F, although it is quite breezy. I was sitting on my porch earlier enjoying the cool breezes. Rainfall is light here,although more rain is expected throughout the day. I haven't turned on the tv to see what the media is saying about the storm,but if Jim Cantore is standing out in the rain & acting like the wind is gonna blow him out to sea,don't buy it! LOL It's not THAT bad,believe me.

Hope everyone is enjoying a nice Memorial Day weekend. Remember those who gave their all for our freedoms-God Bless the USA.

*****************
possum under a rock
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104830: May God bless our service men and women, wherever they may be. Keep them safe, and bring them home to their families. Pray for peace, America. With the enemy we face today, nothing short of God's intervention is going to settle it. --Romeena
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104831: I know that I have posted this before, but it is well-worth another look this Memorial Day at how many gave their all for our freedom as Possum mentions above!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWB5RXnAecE

MDC
May 29, 2016 - Msg 104832: Amen MDC... To all those who were "Given the "Right" to protest their freedoms... Thank these guys and ALL who came before and those who came after, and paid the ultimate price...
Just Sayin' and I ain't takin it back!.... G-F
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104833: GF, etc, did you see the rookie Rossi win the 100th Indy 500 today? I havent watched it much since the days of Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Mears, etc, but today was a good one.
And yes, what's with Cleveland these days!!? Wow.
Cooked steaks tonight for my wife and me. I like mine well done. Don't like the cow talkin' back, if ya know what i mean! :) then we watched the Capital Concert on pbs. Very good as always.
Oh, the Monaco Gran Prix was also raced today! (IAC)
Prayers,
MDC
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104834: Yes MDC, I did catch the end of the 500 yesterday, it was good! Like you I watched it back in the Mario & AJ days too!.. I think Mario & Michael are still involved on the owner side of the business.

As for your steaks, you sound like Mrs. G-F and have to have yours cooked o death!.. As for me I don't mind a little "moo" left in mine!....As Brisco would say:.... "More power to ya!"...lol

We have had absolutely beautiful weather, I have most of my plants in the ground, but still have to put a few in my backyard garden yet. But I'll get to it when I get to it.... G-F
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104835: Good Morning gang !MDC well done steak?...Med for me....lets all hit waffle house....back in just a bit...SPOT

May 30, 2016 - Msg 104836: Good morning, porch! Looking a bit rain-like this morning, but not sure if it will actually do it. The critters are out in abundance - I see six squirrels at this moment - and the birds are everywhere, so I don't expect anything anytime soon.

Duck report - Mama Duck is still on the nest. Those babies should be hatching any time now. I just wish I knew when she actually started brooding them, so I'd know when to expect them to hatch. It's going to be very important that I'm here when it happens. Those little babies won't last anytime once they leave the nest. The cats and our resident hawk will get them quickly. I've got the family on the alert, and can call up a team of helpers quickly, but that's contingent upon me actually being here to see the babies out there.

Well, to each his own, but I've never understood why anyone would want a good steak cooked well done. I'd as soon eat a shoe sole. Tough, dry, and virtually tasteless! That's why some restaurants, especially high-end places, will have a little disclaimer on their menu, that reads something like "We are not responsible for the quality, tenderness or flavor of a steak ordered cooked well-done." Years ago, I had a friend who would order her steak "very well done" and then invariably complain because it was dry. I never figured that one out. Personally, I like mine medium-rare to rare. My dad said once that he thought if we called a vet real quick, my steak could be revived. One advantage to liking it rare - I can eat it, no matter how it arrives, even well done. I may not like it, but I can eat it. If someone likes it well done, there's no way they can eat a rare steak. Now, if I'm in a restaurant, ordering individually and paying for it, and my "rare" order arrives well-done, I will quietly send it back. However, in a group setting, like a banquet or whatever, I just eat what I'm served and keep quiet.

Well, I think today is going to be a writing day. I've got to get my little book finished and off to the publisher. I'm just finding it hard to end it, but I've been mulling it over for a few weeks, and think I may have it settled. Right now, I've got to go feed Toye Starr, and myself, and then settle down for some serious writing. Blessings, porch! And God bless America! --Romeena
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104837: Happy Memorial Day, friends. It is raining cats and dogs here today and some big thunder! My BBQ chicken is going to be late. I am working evenings today and bruce was trying to get lunch ready before I had to leave. The truth is though, that I am enjoying this thunderstorm more than I would lunch. I sat out on the porch swing soaking it in until the dogs discovered me. They get kind of neurotic when it thunders and I knew they would be all over me if I stayed.

Hope you are all having a good day today and remembering loved ones who sacrificed to make us free.

Not a lot to report. Busy weekend and lots of cooking. It was my turn to make lunch for the rehab girls who come to church so I made up a big mess of chicken and dumplings for them on Saturday. I also made a cucumber salad and a couple of dump cakes. I experimented with one and made what I called a Black Forest Dump Cake. Asa have you ever made a dump cake? Terrible name, but so easy and really good. All I did was spread two cans of cherry pie filling in a baking dish, dumped a package of chocolate cake mix on top and then poured on a stick or two of melted butter (I used 2). Bake it in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or so and that's all. My favorite is peach. You can just canned sliced peaches or peach pie filling and dump on a yellow cake mix and sprinkle on some cinnamon and melted butter. My friend Christine won a baking contest by making her peach dump cake using butter pecan cake mix. I want to try that if I ever see one in the store. You can use any kind of fruit and cake mix. Some people put cherry pie filling and pinapple in the bottom and top with white cake mix, chopped pecans and coconut. I have had that it its good, too.

Well, it's still raining and I wish I could stay home today, but I'm needed.

Boo
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104838: Ro, what's your plan if you are there when the ducklings hatch? Are you going to try catch and relocate all of them?

Boo
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104839:

MEMORIAL DAY is a time to remember and honor all of our military personnel who died while serving their country. Think about it. Instead of being near their families, many spent their final hours, days, weeks, months and years experiencing deplorable battle field conditions before their lives ended. In spite of this, many served honorably. While some waited to be drafted, others volunteered. As a veteran who volunteered to serve in the Navy and the Army, I was one of the lucky ones who never experienced combat.
I thank and salute all who did make the supreme sacrifice. May they all rest in peace.

from POOR   HORATIO

May 30, 2016 - Msg 104840:
And please remember this ... freedom is not free ... someone had to pay for it.
So be sure to either thank a veteran, or visit a cemetery, or fly your country's flag, or offer a prayer for our active duty personnel and veterans.

from POOR   HORATIO
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104841: Amen PH... Freedom is NOT Free!... And your education was worth every penny!.. Thanks for the colorization today too!...

Boo... Hopefully it will start raining turkeys... "As GOD as my Witness I thought turkeys could Fly!"...Plus they are GOOD eatin'.. they taste better than dogs OR cats I suppose.

Where's Asa?.... G-F
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104842: Good afternoon, porch. Boo, we never got any rain here today, though this morning it surely did look like a good chance. Guess it all went south!

Yep, I have a plan for the ducks. I have a dog crate in the garage, easily accessible. A call to the family, some of whom can be here in twenty minutes, others will take nearly an hour. Mama Duck will be the hardest, because she can fly, but I'm relying on her being unwilling to leave her babies. The little ducklings can't fly, and they can't get out of the yard because the fence and gates all are close to the ground, less than an inch of clearance. They can run, and they can skitter into shrubbery and such, but again, I'm relying on their instinct to remain close to their mother.

From the videos I've seen, where people have helped a little family get to a pond after the babies leave the nest, it appears they don't have an innate fear of humans, so are approachable. So, with some help from my family, and the ducks' instinct to stay close together, we should be able to get them into the dog crate easily. My old pond net is in shreds, so have ordered a new one from Amazon, as it might help in catching the mama duck. Should arrive by Wednesday.

So - that's the plan. It has to work, as the neighborhood cats will arrive in short order, when the little ducklings start their incessant peeping. They're going to have to get past me to get a duckling, however, and I intend to see that they don't succeed. Oh, and once the ducks are caught, David and Brittney will take them to their house and release them at a pond that's about a quarter mile from them. It's large, and has a resident population of ducks, so these should be okay.

I could just take them over to the Trinity River, less than a mile to the east of me, but I'm afraid the little mama will try to return to this nest box next spring, and I really would rather she didn't. This has been fun, but it's a lot of responsibility too, and I'm constantly worried that they're going to hatch when I'm not here to protect them.

Well, that's the duck update for now. Later, taters! --Romeena
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104843: Possum, I saw the picture you thought was me walking a dog in prison stripes during the parade. I can see why... He had the same "figure" as me...lol... G-F
May 30, 2016 - Msg 104844: Recording episode 379 of Two Chairs No Waiting Andy Griffith Show Fan Podcast tonight at 8pm ET. http://live.TwoChairsNoWaiting.com/
--Floyd
May 31, 2016 - Msg 104845: I can just picture ROmeena standing with her Judge between a cat and the ducklings. "Go ahead cat, make my day!" :)
PH--thank you for your service and all that you said. So true, so true. That is why I like to send out the cemetery video to family and friends, especially my younger ones! Seeing all those thousands of graves really brings the idea home...a picture's worth a thousand words!
BOO--those cakes sound really good, and EASY too!
Floyd, your a treas-sha! Thanks
MDC

May 31, 2016 - Msg 104846: Hahahaha! MDC, that's a funny mental picture. I will indeed face down those cats and do my best to prevent them from getting the little ducks, but they don't really need to fear my Judge. More to the point, they'd better bring a raincoat, because if I see them from my window, I'll water them with the sprinkler. I love that remote control! It just rocks! If I'm outside, I'll physically chase them out of the yard. Then there's the local hawk, and he's quite another story. The fact is, I've got to be watching, and be ready to scoop those babies up as soon as they tumble out of the nest.

I went back in the archives, and I first mentioned them here on May 12, which was the day I realized the occupant of the box was actually a duck. She was already remaining in the box all day at that time, and I think she had been doing so for at least three or four days. Those were the days when I was seeing a little gray face now and then, and thinking it might be a possum. So, if I go back to May 9 or so, and consider that the incubation period for the eggs is from 28-32 days, depending on whose article you read, then they could begin hatching this weekend. However, it's entirely possible that she was sitting on those eggs before the May 9, so really, it could be any time now. I sure wish I could pinpoint it a little closer, but I just can't. So, watch and wait. Everything I've read seems to indicate that they hatch one day, remain in the nest overnight, then take their little "flying leap" in the morning of the next day. Therefore, I'm scheduling nothing before noon any day this week, and will be at my window as much as possible. Dog crate is ready, family is on standby, and Operation Duck Watch continues. What fun!

Well, guess I'd better go feed Toye Starr. I think she wishes we'd never heard of those silly ducks! --Romeena